DRW50

I think we're supposed to feel some sympathy for Christian and Syed because this is supposed to be a forbidden love and they are only supposed to be happy when they're together, but since they never showed most of this onscreen (Syed often looked miserable around Christian) it doesn't work for me. They don't bother to actually tell the story. We're just supposed to assume that Syed is trapped by his religion, Syed loves Christian but not Amira, etc. They tag this big label over the story and we're supposed to look at the label, not at the actual stuff onscreen. That's how a lot of the stories work. It's just about the PR. And I guess that works, but it makes the episodes seem pointless. If they are going to keep all this going with Ben I hope eventually it will move beyond Phil's shame. I don't really care about Phil's shame, he's a worthless father and always has been. They should have Ben attempt suicide and go away for some months. Then either Charlie Jones can take some acting classes while he's away, or they can recast.

Who came up with the idea of Christian listening to them have sex? I know that was supposed to be tragic but please. Why stay and listen? It didn't help that he was wearing nothing but overalls and you could see his naked chest. I kept thinking this was going to turn into a bisexual porn film. I don't think they will get rid of Christian or Syed anytime soon, I think they will probably keep Christian as a supporting character with the Beales and as a sassy comic relief figure like Antony Cotton on Corrie. If he has stories they will be short arcs focusing on being unhappy. John Partridge is part of the BBC family, if his work replacing John Barrowman takes off. The only way I can see Christian leaving is if Partridge wants to return to the West End for good. My guess is Syed will have a lot of stories about being miserable and alone, and cause problems for his family. If this were 80s Eastenders, we would get a very long story where he fell into drugs and prostitution and either died or contracted a serious illness. Since it's not, he will probably just float around as this sad-eyed burden to his family until Marc Elliot decides to leave the show. Then we will get a scene where as Syed leaves, Zainab shows up at the tube station to tell him she loves him no matter what. I couldn't even watch any of that. His voice is agony. I LOL when I hear people say who cares if the story is any good, this is realistic. A 30 year old looking man playing a Klingon-speaking teenager is realistic? I still prefer him to Leon, I can't even look at Leon, but that's not saying a lot. The only way Fatboy might improve is when Mercy shows up. She made him tolerable on E20. Did you hear that they almost had Tanya murder one of her children? http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/s2/eastenders/news/a214107/enders-reveals-greek-tragedy-influence.html I love how they say Danielle/Ronnie was "Greek tragedy." The problem is that Greek tragedy does not air 4 days a week, 52 weeks a year. Treadwell-Collins and Santer would be better off producing films and TV-movies, or primetime.

I can't help feeling sorry for the boy who plays Ben. They treat him the way they treat the actress who plays Heather, who is at least an adult. They humiliate him while half-heartedly claiming we should feel sorry for him while we're laughing at him. That whole mess with the Lady Gaga outfits, ugh. And this always turns into poor Phil, what a burden. He will be boozing it up and falling over soon in a comic relief drunk scene. There was a scene years ago after Roy died and Barry threw Pat out without a penny to her name, and Peggy hired Pat to clean the Vic. She acted like this was a service for a friend, but she was actually getting back at Pat for the affair with Frank, went out of her way to lord over Pat and reinforce that Pat was not part of the family. This story reinforced that these women are not in the same league and never will be. Their friendship and rivalry has never really worked for me; there were some good points (like when they got drunk in the ice cream van) but others which were too forced (their slap fight after Frank died). This election story is such filler -- the best part was when Roxy called them old and they snapped at her. For all the hype about how this was about Syed's religion, it seems more like the usual cliched gay story on soaps -- selfish, nasty gay couple with self-loathing issues and the dumb girl who pays the price. The way that Amira was treated tonight was shameful, and yet we were still supposed to feel sorry for Christian. I thought he came across as kind of creepy, and I also realized he has more chemistry with Amira than he does with Syed. I'm also not sure exactly what we should take from Syed being able to get it up for Amira based on her wearing a man's shirt and playing his favorite song. Is that supposed to tell us he really is gay, or he was thinking of Christian? It actually just told me that once he stops pouting and feeling sorry for himself it's not that difficult for him to be with Amira -- I assume that wasn't the intention. The only one I care about in this story is Amira. After some nice moments with Jane during the pregnancy story, Lucy seems to be back to her wooden status.

You're right, it does sound like that. It also sounds like they're going to have these stories begin with a bang very early on, no real establishing. That's probably smart, as long as the acting and writing can pull it off. I hope that Sheree will lead to India's exit. I heard that Samantha Giles is supposedly returning as Valerie Valentine to wrap up that family's stories. I hope that's true, I really liked her.

Interview with Nitin Ganatra, AKA Masood. He gives away a lot of spoilers. http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/s2/eastenders/interviews/a213929/nitin-ganatra-masood-ahmed-eastenders.html

I think they will have her reunite with Jack soon and then be welcomed back by Roxy once Danny and Glenda rob Roxy blind.

I had some issues with Jim being put in that scene with Jack, because I felt like they were using John Bardon's real life health problems to generate sympathy for Jack's injuries that will probably be gone before the leaves begin falling off the trees. At least Scott Maslen was better then usual. The show really seems to think that we will see Billie as a victim. This was the best material Dot's had in a long time, it was nice to see her in a role beyond frail old woman. The election story with Pat and Peggy is very rushed. I also thought it made Pat look very addled, because she told Peggy to run for office and gave Peggy her ideas, then became angry when Peggy used the ideas to do what Pat wanted. The whole thing is so contrived. Is it wrong of me to say I have never been a big fan of the Pat/Peggy relationship? They should be a little less subtle about Ronnie's story and have her walk around in a plastic bubble. Fatboy -- remember the old sitcoms that would drag in some weird friend for one of the kids, and we'd be invited to laugh at how bizarre and stupid they were? Leon is just ugly. I don't know how else to put it. There's a rumor that

So this is why the slaps on Eastenders look so fake now. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/soaps/2929941/BBC-health-and-safety-chiefs-ban-slapping-on-EastEnders.html

Who is it who owns the Loft now? Sasha? That's so ludicrous. I kind of wish they would just get rid of the place for good.

It's odd because I did love Clare (it helped that she was so rude to Tom -- he got on my nerves), but I also wanted to see her pay. I think that shows how well-written the story was because I cared about everyone involved. That scene where OB punches her and saves Max from drowning is probably one of my favorite soap moments ever (made even better because BBC America replaced the original music for rights reasons and put in something that sounded like Max and OB were lovers). When they moved her to the other story, I just wanted to see her mow down Louise, Warren, Katy, Justin. They were all stupid and smug and deluded about their own goodness. I wonder if that scene where she tells everyone off when they take the Loft from her is still on Youtube. I still liked that story, especially the trial when she faked serious injuries. Unfortunately by the time of her last return the characters were so bad she was defeated by Sasha. Come on.

I think that with a lot of shows there's the element which is widely known by the press and public and the element which is known by a lot of longtime viewers. For instance, Mr. C, Max's and Cindy's father, was never a huge character but he was a continual presence for HO's first 8 years and he meant a lot to many viewers. The show was already having problems before he was killed off but that's the type of lack of stability which helped drive the ratings down and nearly got the show canned before Kirkwood took over. When Kirkwood left, there were a lot of dead spaces, which meant that even with moments which should have been spectacular, like Clare's return and Warren's death, it fizzled out, because the characters who had been built up over the previous few years, like Sasha or Calvin, were so worthless. You definitely need to bring in new characters and create good new stories but it takes a miracle to be able to churn out strong new characters and strong new actors every few years. If you don't have something else to back that up then you're in trouble. One of the reasons Clare worked so brilliantly as a character was because viewers were invested in her coming between Max and OB and wanting to see her comeuppance. When she was moved out of that story, Gemma was still great and Clare still had some big moments, but it was never quite the same, because Louise, Warren, Calvin, etc. were such shallow characters. Home & Away is a show that seems to be able to survive by constant upheaval, but I thought that show and Neighbours almost had to stay on the air, regardless of ratings, because of some Australian law.

They were always going to leave sooner or later but there was very little built up to help bridge the gap. They brought Mandy back but most fans hated her storyline. They brought Cindy back and she's fine but she's not the same type of character. They were the heart of the show. I think that finding actors who will stay and who will be important to viewers is important because that keeps viewers going through the dead spots when so many actors leave and you have to give them an exit. I think that was one of the biggest failings of the past few years, they did their best to isolate and diminish those characters who have stayed. They destroyed the Osborne/Dean family with that endless year of weeping, yelling, death, and faked death. They have never been the same since then. Before 2008 and 2009 this family provided a great service of being good at comedy as well as drama and giving a sense of stability and fun along with heartache. Now they're just these broken or aimless characters. Meanwhile, Tony was drained of most of his personality, spent what must seemed like years weeping over babies, and has no real purpose at this point. Nancy could have been an interesting presence but they have had no idea what to do with her. The McQueens have generally stuck around far longer than I had expected, yet generally the show has been giving them crap stories since mid-2007. Niall's story was very well acted but the actual pacing and plotting didn't quite work for me. It got big ratings but the fallout of the story left a lot of very weak characters and relationships. I get sad when I remember how beautifully these characters and their relationships as a family were written up to mid-2007. It's been a problem that so many of the new characters brought in under Lucy Allan have flopped but if the foundation were better maintained then the show would not seem so completely gutted. Kirkwood did save HO back in 2006, but he did so with the great characters he had to work with. I don't think Marquess has the same luxury.

I think that the show did have a certain thoroughline of Max and OB. They were there through everything, and through them were the memories of those they loved who had once been major parts of the show, like Max's father. Mandy was also a big part of that for a long time. Now they're all gone and I think that with the generally failed attempts at bringing in or maintaining new characters and new families, there's very little left.

The main difference is that generally the core of those shows remained the same, although that's more true for Corrie and Eastenders. There is no core left in Hollyoaks. So these new families truly are make or break.

Louise was such a horribly written character, I hope things will improve with this character.

I don't remember them interacting in the 2005 episodes I've seen. Darren was gone for 2-3 years of Lee's time there.

Paul Opacic may be best known for his work on Emmerdale 10 years ago as Steve Marchant, wicked Kim Tate's last husband. They both ran a lot of cons and schemes, even against each other. His most "evil" moment was probably when he ran over Kathy Tate and tried to smother her in the hospital so she wouldn't tell about it. Andonis Anthony -- is that a short term role? He's had some on Hollyoaks before. In 2007 he ran a call center Jessica and Zak worked at. http://andonisanthony.com/Showreel.htm I don't know what old friends Lee will find in Chester...I guess there's Steph, Tony, and Cindy.

Louise Berridge talks about her stalker. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-1264490/Louise-Berridge-reveals-real-life-drama-My-stalker-lose-plot.html

I was wondering...has there ever been a major soap friendship that completely disappeared, without any real reason, the way Roxy and Christian have disappeared? He was even going to raise her daughter at one point. Aside from a handful of scenes a few months ago where she hired him to work in the Vic (where he's never been seen since), they have barely interacted in a year and a half. I was thinking about this because I read a comment at DS which criticized Amira for treating Christian like an accessory, and how she had never been a true friend to him, and all I could think was, "Sounds more like Roxy." Then I remembered they aren't even friends now.

Someone call Jeffrey Carlson.

Bill Bell had tried to do the same for a few months in 1996, showing a bare-bottomed Jack and Brad on a primetime Y&R (which Peter Bergman was annoyed with -- there was a hilarious interview where he complained about showing his saggy ass while standing next to a Greek god), then Paul's bare bottom after a sex scene with Christine. That didn't go anywhere, unfortunately...I think male nudity is probably the main thing that would get me through Y&R at this point, as long as Victor isn't involved.

Sounds very dramatic. They are continuing to tie Aaron's violence to his self-loathing, which has been done before, but rarely with such effectiveness. I will be surprised if Jackson is around in a few months.

The Masoods have barely been on the show in months. I like Ronnie, she's certainly a lot better than Roxy, or most of the characters Santer created, but they have no idea what to do with her. She just mopes and mopes and suffers and it's hard to see a bright light for her because the idea of her having to go back to enabling her worthless sister is depressing.

I'd love to see Dan again. He was a wonderful character. You're going to make me start blathering again. I hope you can share some of your thoughts too. Highs were certainly: - getting the show a lot of attention and buzz - keeping the ratings at a decent to huge level In terms of storytelling and results: Highs: - The Stax reveal. The story before and after the reveal episode stunk, but that episode packed a huge punch and was the perfect moment for a Christmas Day episode being sampled by a lot of new viewers. - Bianca's return. The character isn't a patch on what she was the first time around, but Bianca brings a lot of history and on paper at least ties many disparate characters together. These ties were not highlighted until Carol returned but Carol wouldn't have returned if Bianca hadn't been there. The real highlight of Bianca's return was Patsy Palmer's work in the episode where she learned Tony had been abusing Whitney for years. That was a very powerful moment for Patsy and I'm sorry she was overlooked. - Ronnie and Archie. Ronnie is a horribly written character and I continue to be shocked at the casual misuse and disregard this character has been through for most of her run, but you can't take your eyes off her. She represents the best and the worst of the Eastenders female character. And Archie...well, when the writing was there, he was a powerhouse. Larry Lamb was by far the best casting decision the show made in recent years. - Zainab, Tamwar, and Ahmed Masood. They kick ass! I really can't put it any better than that. The first popular South Asian characters on the show in over a decade, and arguably more important to the canvas than the last popular characters, Sanjay and Gita. Tamwar is some of the best comic relief the show has had in years and Zainab and Ahmed effortlessly play comedy and drama, romance, everything. - Giving Ian stories about his family and his history, and making him more than Phil's punching bag or the town joke. - Making Jean Slater (relatively) sane and putting her in the Slater house was a brilliant idea. Lows: - For every season, (re)turn, (re)turn, (re)turn. The number of characters given mediocre to shockingly poor returns is surprising, especially for only a three year period. Suzy Branning. Janine. Clare. Nick. Sam. Steven Beale. Mad May. Billie. For someone who claims to love the show's history so much, you wouldn't know it from the results. - Shamelessly exploiting social issues then not bothering to actually follow through. Whitney's sexual abuse has been made completely irrelevant so she can jump into bed with another relative. Christian has run through one stereotype after another and his relationship with Syed is, for a story that is supposedly about some sort of positive representation of a gay Muslim, actually a very, very negative view. And Steven's bipolar disorder was used to turn him into a psycho. How can we forget about Stacey being bipolar and then becoming a murderer and letting her boyfriend die for her crime, which was so awful the show actually had to have her say, "Don't blame my bipolar." Or the wonderful way that rape and sexual abuse by Archie were completely unexplored and just done for shock value. - Endless baby stories. - Mitchell mismanaging. Phil is now so empty a character that his alcoholism is used for comic relief and they have to keep pushing one kid after another on him and repeating stories about how he's a lousy father but gee he really tries. Roxy is a horrible, horrible character, in every way. Ronnie has been turned into a pariah and all of her major screen partners could give you splinters. Danny is hilariously terrible and seems to have been hired only for his hair. Billy lost his wife and kids for what exactly? Sam was completely ruined as a character in her return and became almost schizophrenic by the end. This family's sense of entitlement has never been higher and their entertainment value is at a low. They are not only nasty people, they are also very stupid people, and they continue to win because of their last name, nothing else. - Bad comic relief. I mean BAD, BAD comic relief. Heather and Minty should be banished from Walford for good. Worst of all is that they expect us to also feel sorry for these weird and pathetic people. The handling of Heather has often been disturbing and unpleasant, especially the years with scene after scene of "She's such a pig, ha ha, what a fat slob/That's so mean when people call her that, poor Heather." Not even getting into the WTD mess, or Minty's relationships that never go anywhere other than in his big gob. - Butchering of the Brannings, and I'm not talking about Ricky. One stunt after another in 2008, and they were all extremely damaging to the characters, especially Tanya. They clearly have no idea what to do with this character and she really should have been written out a long time ago. Instead, they keep her, but continue to make her look like a horrible, selfish mother. - Bad pacing, which has bothered me for a long time now with Santer but was so highlighted this year there's no point for me to go into it again. - PR stunts over storytelling quality, probably most exemplified in "Killer Lucas", a story they clearly have no real idea how to write, but hope that having him kill minor characters every so often is a way to get attention. - Not building a future. For someone who has talked about how much EE's first teens meant to him, the casting and writing for the teens during Santer's tenure has been surprisingly weak. I've also been confused as to why, with a few exceptions, most of the teenage boys on the show are extremely passive and simpering while many of the girls are OTT and written as being so out of control that they try to murder their father, their grandmother, etc.

He's back.